British Cleaning Council Urges Companies to Gift Unused Apprenticeship Levy Funds

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• British Cleaning Council Urges Companies to Gift Unused Apprenticeship Levy Funds

15 December 2023

The British Cleaning Council is appealing to large cleaning businesses to gift or transfer unused apprenticeship levy money to smaller organisations.

The apprenticeship levy applies to employers with an annual wage bill of more than £3 million. 0.5 per cent of the company’s payroll each month is then charged as a levy tax, which can be reinvested into apprenticeship training. 

The Level 2 Cleaning Hygiene Operative Apprenticeship will go live on January 2024, providing employees an opportunity to access a recognised work-related cleaning qualification.

“If a company isn’t using up its levy funding on apprentices, please think about gifting. It could help improve the skill levels of staff across the sector, some of whom could be your future employees. By working together, we can benefit the whole industry. Unity is strength.”

–Delia Cannings

Chair, BCC

 

Millions of Pounds of Levy Funding Goes Unused

Employers can choose to transfer up to 25 per cent of their levy funds each year to other businesses to pay for apprenticeship training and assessment, via their apprenticeship service account. This means that smaller businesses who otherwise would not be able to fund Cleaning Hygiene Operative Apprenticeships have the chance to get involved.

BCC Chair Delia Cannings said: “The Apprenticeship Standard for the industry is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to invest in staff training and for individual employees to gain a recognised work-related qualification.

“I urge businesses to get themselves in the starting blocks so they can be quick off the mark on 1 January and start setting up apprenticeships.

“There are millions of pounds of levy funding every year from cleaning and hygiene sector companies which goes unused, so let’s put this money to good use.

“If a company isn’t using up its levy funding on apprentices, please think about gifting. It could help improve the skill levels of staff across the sector, some of whom could be your future employees. By working together, we can benefit the whole industry. Unity is strength.”

Gifting companies can specify which businesses, sectors, skills or local areas they would like to support, meaning funds can be kept within the cleaning and hygiene sector. The government tops up the payment by 10 per cent.

Companies can find out how to transfer levy funds here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transferring-your-apprenticeship-levy-to-another-business

Smaller companies which need levy funding for apprenticeships can apply here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/receive-a-levy-transfer-from-another-business-to-fund-an-apprenticeship

Picture: a photograph of two people in full PPE cleaning a vertical surface. One is wiping the surface and the other is holding a spray bottle. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 15 December 2023

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